Patrick Brompton Hall may have witnessed changes unimaginable to those who built it in the early 17th century – and its early inhabitants – yet there are some things about it that have remained steadfastly constant.
For one the splendour of this remarkable grade II* listed Queen Anne country house... and another the magnificence of its surroundings near Bedale in the foothills of the Yorkshire Dales.
The main house dates circa 1703, with the east and west wings added some 200 years later.
Formerly the home of jockey Billy Nevett, who won the Derby in 1945, Patrick Brompton Hall – also known as Dalesend – has been a family home for generations and has been sympathetically updated and beautifully maintained by the Ropner family in whose hands it has been since 1958.
Works carried out have included the conversion of the adjacent greenhouse into a charming pool, the addition of two new bathrooms (in 2022) and the conversion of the 200-year-old Georgian stable block alongside the main house into holiday apartments in 2014. But more of that later...
Patrick Brompton Hall is a particularly appealing country house, grand and gracious but built on a relatively modest scale with versatile accommodation arranged over three floors.
Its principal reception rooms and bedrooms face south across sweeping lawns and parkland, providing a timeless pastoral view that is one of the chief delights of this historic property’s setting.
The hall is home to many characterful period features including a third century Roman tombstone acquired in 1958, ornate plasterwork, working shutters, wood panelling, original floorboards, a walnut staircase with shallow treads, cast iron radiators, timber sash windows, panelled doors and a number of fireplaces including one from Clumber Park, the ancestral home to the Dukes of Newcastle.
The elegant vaulted ceiling in the hall was added some 65 years ago by the incumbent’s father.
On the ground floor are four beautifully proportioned reception rooms with south facing views and a full-height curved bay in the drawing room that opens to the lower terrace where stone steps rise to the upper pool terrace, two cloakrooms and a traditional kitchen breakfast room with a two-oven LPG AGA along with an adjacent larder, pantry and utility room giving access to the garaging.
On the first floor are two substantial bedroom suites which enjoy parkland views whilst the lion’s share of the bedroom accommodation extends northwards and includes a nursery wing with sitting room.
The loft room is a massive space of some 45ft x 37ft which is fully boarded and has power and light, giving great scope for it to be developed into a games room or annexe.
The swimming pool with pool room is powered by green energy.
The whole property is shielded by woodland and bands of trees, with the village road skirting the boundary and Brompton Beck – which is home to brown trout– winding its way along the eastern edge.
Set in some ten acres of land in all, the property includes formal gardens to front of the house along with the sheltered sun terrace and a ha-ha dividing the lawns from the parkland.
A gravel drive sweeps past a stone pavilion to the front entrance of the house and beyond to the majestic wrought iron gates between fine stone pillars that separate the hall from the stable block. A further drive winds its way, crossing an arched stone bridge over the beck and passing a pond before it arrives at a turning circle and parking area alongside the outbuildings.
An all-weather tennis court with hut and walled garden enjoy a tranquil setting on the western corner of the property alongside the orchard. The walled garden with its oak tree encircled by formal clipped hedging is grade II listed and has a loggia and large fruit cage.
Now on to the four cottage apartments within the stable block that faces the meandering beck and bluebell woods and also includes four enclosed stables and two secure store rooms.
All of the apartments are open plan loft-style apartments featuring original old beams and iron trusses and are fitted to the highest specification with power showers, Italian marble tiles, underfloor heating and wood-burning stoves.
Last, but certainly not least, is a pavilion designed by eminent architect, Sir William Whitfield in the 1980s, which is currently used as an office.
Full planning consent is in place for the development of two dwellings near the western boundary of the property – one the conversion and extension of an existing agricultural stone outbuilding to
ancillary accommodation; the second for the replacement of an existing building with a one-bedroom dwelling to be utilised as holiday accommodation.
Read more: Seed library and garden tours at new eco festival in Northallerton
Patrick Brompton Hall is situated in the conservation village of Patrick Brompton and is on the market at a guide price of £4.5m.
A further 57 acres of land with sporting and mineral rights is available by separate negotiation.
For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact Blenkin and Co on 01904 671672.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here